Small moments that matter

That sounds simple, but it was a bit more complicated than that. The appointment was for Ms Action, but I knew that she is a little reticent to try new things, so I planned on letting Ms Drama tag along for a little peer pressure.

I talked about it until Ms Action began reciting “what the Dentist does” from memory every time I brought it up. The day of the appointment I looked up “The first Dentist appointment is not scary” on YouTube and let them watch a 9 minute video of a very calm and co-operative 3 year old boy getting his teeth cleaned. And we talked about how the little boy was opening his mouth big and wide.

When we got to the Dentist office, I was braced for the worst. Last time I brought Ms Action in for a Dr.s checkup she had refused to sit still, and climbed up my leg whimpering in an effort to keep the Dr from listening to her heart.

Actually, it went really well. The girls sat side by side in the dentist’s chair and watched cartoons and in general were just the cutest little things alive. Ms Action was shy about opening her mouth a few times, but once my 2 year old happily complied, the sisterly competition kicked in and they both did really well. Ms Drama loved the little foam fluoride trays so much that she clamped her jaws shut and refused to let the hygienist take them out of her mouth.They got their little stickers and thanked the Dentist before we left.

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My bigger picture moment appeared later the same day when I saw this video.

The story is of a little girl who died 9 months after her diagnosis with inoperable brain cancer.

I cried. To think of even the possibility of losing any of my babies is just to much. But the truth is, I can plan ahead, thinking about the future, “knowing” that I will be taking my kids to the Dentist every year for the rest of their childhoods. And I never know when one of my babies could be taken away from me.

It was a good reminder for me that each moment spent with my girls is special, every moment. I realized that all the time spent preparing for the Dentist, and equipping them to cope with childhood fears, is just as valuable as having a successful Dentists visit. All the time spent together reading books is just as important as the day she graduates from school. The time spent making sandwiches together, is just as important as having cake on her birthday. 

I often get sucked into thinking that the bigger picture means the “Big Moments”. But really, the bigger picture is made up of very small moments, and every day is full of them. Can I accept the challenge to cherish every day, every moment?